Spin Cycle

Already battling budget cuts and the closing the nursing home, leaders of Suffolk’s biggest union, Association of Municipal Employees, are now fighting among themselves.

Cheryl Felice, president of the 7,000-member union (photo left), called a special convention Friday aimed at changing AME’s by-laws to clear the way to remove executive vice president Lydia Sebasto (photo right) from her full-time union post.

Felice proposed new ethics rules which would permit a complaint to be filed to remove any of the seven vice presidents on full-time release after a hearing by the union board of directors. Currently, Felice controls release time for all but one of the seven unions top officials, the exception being executive vice president.

Prior to the convention, the union leader said she wanted Sebasto out because she “comes and goes as she pleases” and is not cooperative. Critics say Felice’s move was a power play to put the board of directors rather than the union’s judical board in charge of removals.

Sebasto rejected Felice’s claims, saying “If she believes I have done anything wrong as officer she needs to file charges with the judicial board and she has not done that.” Felice could not be reach after the meeting.

After a day-long session, the 110 delegates balked at adopting the new rules, but set up a committee to work on language. However, no action is likely until the union’s fall convention. Delegate Brian Watts, a Felice critic, said, “It wasn’t a victory for Lydia, but it was a loss for Cheryl.”

Felice afterward said she’s still confident the change will be approved. “The isse of accountability has clearly been raised,” she said.

Rick Brand